My third D-V is a very late production aircraft delivered to Jasta 18 during the spring of 1918, just after the Staffel was taken over by August Raben and given its new red and white colors. Several aircraft of the unit were pictured at that time, but the best documented as far as I know is this one, since a closeup clearly shows the red upper wing with white squares under the crosses, red front fuselage, struts and landing gear, as well as the lozenge-covered lower wings and several typical details of this very aircraft like the rearview mirror, the flaregun attached to the upperwing cutout, and particular windscreen.
As some sources state that this aircraft batch was built by OAW, and as OAW-built machines are supposed to have blue rib tapes, this gave me the opportunity to combine 5 color lozenges with blue tapes on this bird.
The Roden kit is the finest base at this scale in my opinion, offering the thinnest details. It is also rather difficult to build, just like most other short-run WWI kits so to say...Seatbelts and Spandau detailing is from Eduard, gauge decals from FCM, the rest of the mods being scratch (valve springs, spark plug wiring, cockpit details, flaregun etc). All markings are home-made decals including lozenges and the whole top of the upperwing. Humbrol paints, weathering with oils, Pebeo flat varnish.
